Fruit seeder



Aug. 28, 1923. 1,466,080

J. C. B AUMER FRUIT SEEDER Filed Nov. 16 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR (John C. Buumer ATTOR EY Aug. 28, 1923. v 1,466.080

J. c. BAUMER 7 FRUIT SEEDER Filed Nov. 16. 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2- T I |NV ENTOR (John C. Baumer- ATTORNEY g at JOHN C. BAUIlIER, OF ROCHESTER, IJEVV YORK 'ASSIGNOB T0 1 EOCI-IESTEE, NEW YORK.

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FRUIT snnnnn.

Application fiieiinovember 16,1921, Serial No. 515,639.-

To aZZ whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, JOHN C. BAUMER, a citizen of the'United States of America, residing at Rochester, in the county of 'Monroe and State ,of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fruit Seeders,'of which the following is specification. n V

The object of this invention is to provide a new and improved form of'machine for taking the pits out of cherries, plums and other fruits. v

This and other objects ofthe invention will be fully illustrated in the drawing described in the specification and pointed out in the claims at the end thereof.

In the drawing: Figure 1 is a top plan view of the machine. V f V Figure 2 isa top plan view ofthe machine with the turn table removed.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the machine. Figure 4 is a vertical section on the line 4 of Figure 1. v

Figure 5 is a detall view of the needle for V removing the pitfrom the fruit,

v Figure 6 is a bottom plan view ofthe needle shown in Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a side elevation of the cam for operating the feeding mechanism for feeding the fruit after it has been pitted.

Figure 8 is a detail view of the crank for operating the deflector plate.

In the drawing, like reference numerals indicate like parts.

In the drawing, reference numeral .1 indicates the base of the machine which is a hollow casting open at the top and. bottom. Across the top of the casting is the beamor bridge 2 integral therewith. In this beam is mounted the stud 3cn which is mounted to rotate the turntable 4:. This turntable is provided on the under side with pins 5 that are engaged by the cam 6 as shown in Figures 2 and 4 by which the turntable ismioved forward step by step. ,As will be seen from Figure 2, the cam is provided with two active portions 7 and 8 and an intermediate idle portion 9. The active port-ion? advances the turntable a half step and places the. cherry beneath the needle. The idle portion the active HOMER s'rnoive, or c of the cam holds the cherryin position while the pit is being ejected and the active portion 8' advances the turntable Ia'half step from which position it is moved again by ortion of the earn 7 acting on the next pin 5. The action of the cams 8 and in moving the turntable is practically continuous, and it will be understood that the cam 6 is keyed to the shaft 10 which is mounted to rotate in the base andis driven continuously by thepulley 11.

on the opposite end of the Shaft iofisk carried the crank disk 12 whichhas a stud l8-thereon which acts as a crank pin and drives the connecting'rod- 1411p and'down.

On the" inside the crank disk isprovided .f

with ablock 15 which operates the ejector in a manner that will presently be described.

In Figure 1 Ihavej'shown the turntable 4 provided with ten pockets,although it will be understood that the turntable may be of any diameter and maybe provided with any number of pockets. The turntable is provided with boss 16 which rests on a corresponding boss 17 formed on the bridge- 2.

The turntable, isprovideolwi'th a flange 18* that engages outside of-the shoulder- 19 on the base, which shoulder thereby steadies the table on its rotation. Each of the cups" for carrying the fruit is comprised of two segments 20 and-21 each of which has an integral therewith which arms are pivoted-on the studs 22 and 23. The adjacent arms of the segments are joined together by the springs 2a: which springs normally hold the segments in contact with each other so as to make the cup and the opening in the'bottom thereof'as small as possible. On theturntableis provided the ring plate 25 which is fastened to the turntable by screws 26, ten-of which are provided for that. purpose. Between the ring plate 25 and. the 'tur ntable i s provided a' rubber gasket 27 whichis clamped between them by the screws 26. The screws 22 and 23 pass through, the ring plate 25, the gasket 27, and into the turntable 4. The turntable and the ring plate are perforated at intervals with openings thatare in line with and concentric with-the openings in the bottom of V the rubber gasket 27 which forms a diaphragm for the purpose of supporting the these blades is an open center (for about one and one quarter inches for cherries) and the blades are made thin enough to be flBiIlhis, and the edges of them are inclined upwardly toward the open center so that the edges form a socket for the engagement of the pit. The edges are sharp enough. to

readily cut through the skin and pulp of the fruit without mutilation; The needle is set in a plunger 42,. being fastened therein by a set screw 43, the needle bar having a flat side provided thereon for the engagement of the screw. This fixes th position of the needle and prevents it from turning. It will be understood that the first stroke of the needle down through the rubber diaphragm at each cup cuts five radial slits therein and it is necessary to hold the knives of the needle in such position that they will always thereafterregister with these slits; This is secured in the manner described. These slits are completed to the center by cutting them throu'ghwith an ordinary pen knife. In this way the diaphragm is proyided with an opening which is closed by the five angular rubber points which support the pin until it is pushed past them by the needle and as the pit passes them they held and close'again'afterthe pit has gone through.

The plunger-d2 carries a-pi-n 44c thereon which ei'i ages with the connecting rod 14 by which the pin 4&4 and'the plunger 42 and the needle 40 are moved up and down, once for every rotationef the shaft 10. The pin 44; travels up and down in a slot 45 in the guidecylinder 46 which cylinder is support ed from the base by the brackets 4'1 and 48.

The reciprocation of the needle is timed so that it has its down and'up movement in .contactwith the -cherry while the idle portion 9 of the cam his passing the pin 5 and it has its movement upward from the cherry while the pin 5 is fastened in the active portion 8 and it has its downward movement to the cherry while the'pi'n 5 is passing the active portion 7 of the cam 6. While the needle is engaged with the cherry the turntable l is. therefore,sta'tionary and while it is out of engagement with the cherry,'the turntable is rotating to bring up the next cherry. As shown in Figure 'the cherry pit passes through the turntableand through an open L9pro'vided in the base therefor and into any suitable receptacle below the base.

As the needle rises it. carriesthe cherry up with it and to strip the cherry from the needle the stripper plate 50 is provided which is held on the bottom of the guide cylinder 46 in any suitable manner. This plate strips the cherry oil' the needle which can then fall by gravity back on the turntable, but the cherry in falling is diverted by an apparatus that I will now describe.

On the base is provided a boss 51 which is provided with an upright seat on which is fastened a bracket 52 carrying a pin 53 on the top thereof. 7 a sleeve 5% having a shoulder 55 on the bottom thereof which shoulder'is engaged by the block 15 as the crank disk 12 rotates;

On the top of the sleeve is provided a crank 56 which as the sleeve rocks moves the connecting rod 58 and draws a pusher rod 59 On this pin is carried 7 mounted to slide in the guide 60 supported by a bracket 61 from the guide cylinder 46. f The sleeve 54, connecting rod 58, and de flecting plate 62 are held normally in the position shown in Figure 4; by a torsion spring 65 which surrounds the sleeve 54- and is fasposition as soon as the block 15 has passed the lug 5 5.

It will be understood that there is one pin 5 on the bottom of the turntable for each of the cups and this pin is located with reference to the cam and needle so as to center the cup under the needle while the pin-rem gages the idle portion of tl'ife carn. The operation of the machine is as follows:

The cherries are placed in the cupswith the stem end down and the macl' -ine is driven by hand or power "as may be desired. The turntable moves by astep to step movement and the needle reciprocates continuously. The turntable brings a new cherry with the bottom end up under the needle on each downward movement thereof, and'the pit is pushed out. of the cherry and through the turntable without inutil'ating the. cherry, and the cherry is then lifted by the needle until it is stripped therefrom by the stripper plate 50 and deflected by the plate 62 into the chute 63. V r

Whil I have described the operationof the machine for the purposeof pitting cherries, it will be understood that the machine will be constructed and operated in the same i manner for the purpose Ofpitting plums or any other fruit that may have stones in 7 It will also be understood that'the turntable is easily removable so that several turntablescan he furnished witho'ne machine, the tables having different sized openin s therein and different sized pockets thereon capable of handling different sizesof fruit.

[To facilitate the removal of the table each table is finished with a handle centrally thereof which handle has on the underside the opening that forms the bearing for the table by which it turns on the stud 3.

I claim:

1. In a fruit pitting machine, the combination of a base, a turntable mounted toturn thereon, a series of pockets on said table, a cam for turning said table by a step by step movement, said cam locking the table against movement between steps, said cam being mounted to turn with a horizontal shaft mounted parallel to said turntable.

2. In a fruit pitting machine, the combination of a base, a turntable mounted to turn thereon, a ring plate on said turntable, a flexible gasket between said table and plate openings through said turntable and plate, said openings being normally closed by said gasket.

3. In a fruit pitting machine, the combination of a base, a turntable mounted to turn thereon, a ring plate on said turntable, a

flexible gasket between said table and'plate' openings through said turntable and plate, said openings being normally closed by said gasket, said gasket being slit at said openings to permit it to open under pressure.

4. In a fruit pitting machine, the combination of a base, a turntable mounted to turn thereon, a ring plate on said turntable, a flexible gasket between said table and plate openings through said turntable and plate, said openings being normally closed by said gasket, said gasket parting at the openings under pressure to permit the pits to pass through.

5. In a fruit pitting machine the'combination of a base, a turntable mounted to turn thereon, a series of pockets mounted on said turntable each of said pockets being divided radially, the parts of said pocket being each mounted on an arm with which it is adapted to swing on a pivot outside of the pocket.

6. In a fruit pitting machine the combination of a base, a turntable mounted to turn thereon, a series of pockets mounted on said turntable each of said pockets being divided radially, the parts of said pocket being each mounted on an arm with which it is adapted to swing on a pivotoutside of the pocket. means for yieldingly holding the parts of the pocket together.

7. In a. fruit pitting machine, the combination of a base, a turntable mounted to turn thereon, a series of pockets mounted on said turntable, each of said pockets being divided radially the parts of said pockets being each mounted on one end of an arm with which it is adapted to swing on a pivot outside of the pocket, a spring connecting the adjacent arms of adjacent pockets and normally holding them together and holding the two parts of the pocket yieldingly together. 7

8. In a fruit pitting machine, the combination of a base, a turntable mounted to turn thereon, a series of pockets mounted on said turntable, each of said pockets being divided radially the parts of said pockets being each mountedon oneend of an arm with which it is adapted to swing on a pivot outside of the pocket, a spring connecting the adjacent arms of adjacent pockets and normally holdin g them together and holding the two parts of the pocket'yieldingly together, pins be tween consecutive pockets, said pins fixing the normal position of said arms and the parts of the pockets.

9. In a fruit pitting machine, the combination of a base, a turntable mounted to turn thereon, a series of pockets mounted on said turntable, said turntable holding itself in position by gravity only and being removable at will, means under the turntable for positively driving it and looking it against angular movement.

10. In a fruit pitting machine, the combination of a base, a turntable mounted to turn thereon,'a series of pockets mounted on said turntable, said turntable having a handle extending upwardly therefrom. centrally thereof, said turntable and handle having a hole extending up therein centrally from below to receive the stud on which it rotates.

11. In a fruit pitting machine, the combination of a base, said base having an open top, with a bridge thereacross, a stud extending upwardly from said bridge, a turntable mounted to turn thereon, means under-the turntable for positively driving it'and looking it against angular movement.

12. In a fruit pitting machine, the combination of abase, a power shaft mounted to rotate therein, a cam on said shaft, a turntable mounted to turn on said base, pins extending down from said turntable and engaging with said cam by which said turntable is rotated intermittently. r

13. In a fruit pitting-machine, the combination of a base, a power shaft mounted to rotate therein, a cam on said shaft, a turntable mounted to turn on said base, pins eX-' tending down from said turntable and engaging with said cam by which said turntable is rotated and held locked against rotation at intervals.

14. In a fruit pitting machine, the combination of a base, a power shaft mounted to rotate therein, a cam on said shaft, a turntable mounted to turn on said base, pins extending down from said turntable and engaging with said cam by which said turntable is rotated and held locked against rotation at intervals,lsaid pins being arranged in a circle and engaging with said cam in succession.

15. In a fruit pitting machine, the combination of a base, a power shaft. mounted to rotate therein, a turntable, driven by said shaft, a guide supported from said base, a plunger and needle moving up and down in said guide, a cam on: said shaft for driving said: turntable intermittently, acrank disk on said shaft, a connecting rod connecting said crank disk tosaid plunger Wherebys-aid plunger and needlearemoved up and down.

16. In a fruit pitting machine, the combination of a pocket, a-needle moving down into the pocket and up vout of the" pocket; means for stripping the fruit from the neodie; at deflecting plate moving forward and; back over the: pocket in astraight linelmove-- ment, a guidefor" supporting: it in its move? ment, a shaft, a crank disk mountedsthereon, means. for reciprocating said plate from the rotation of said crank disk.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

J @H'N' G. BAUMERL 

